70 MEMORIAL, OP JOSEPH HENRY. 



with which he pressed his conclusions into practice when sperrta-oil 

 became dear, has already saved more than a million of dollars; the 

 adaptation of mineral oil to the lesser lights made another great 

 saving; and the results reached by his recent investigations of the 

 conditions which influence the transmission of sound and their ap- 

 plication to acoustical signaling are not to be valued by the saving 

 of money only. 



It was in the prosecution of these last investigations, over a year 

 ago, and probably in consequence of exposure in them, at the light- 

 house station on Staten Island, that an intimation of the approach- 

 ing end of these labors was received. Yet a few months more 

 of useful life were vouchsafed to him, not free from suffering, 

 but blessed with an unclouded mind and borne with a serene 

 spirit; and then, at midday on the 13th of May last, the scene 

 was closed. 



At the sepulture of his remains (on the 16th) and afterward, it 

 was generally remarked at Washington that never before had the 

 funeral of a private citizen called forth such sense of loss, such 

 profound demonstrations of respect and affection. 



It is not for us to assign Professor Henry's place among the men 

 of science of our time. Those who do this will probably note that 

 his American predecessors were Franklin and Rumpord ; that all 

 three were what we call self-made men ; that all three, after having 

 proved their talents for original investigation in physics, were called 

 in their mature years to duties of administration and the conduct 

 of affairs. There are interesting parallels to be drawn from their 

 scientific work, if one had time to trace them. 



Not often is a great man of science a good man of business. 

 Henry's friends at Princeton, who besought him not to abandon 

 the peaceful academic life which he was enjoying and the quiet 

 pursuits which had given him fame, were surprised when in another 

 sphere he developed equal talents for organization and administra- 



